Various Species Of Insects Research Articles

Acetogeninas de Anonáceas: uma análise comparativa de sua atividade inseticida

Abstract: The Annonaceae family besides its commercial value ( Annona cherimola, , A. macroprophyllata, A. muricata, A. reticulata, A. purpurea , A. squamosa, Annona x atemoya) also produces several active secondary metabolites. Among these metabolites, Annonaceous acetogenins which are exclusive in this family, are reported with insecticidal activity on various species of insects that are crop pests and disease vectors. This review systematizes what is reported in the scientific literature about them: aspects such as the plant species from which the acetogenins come, and the insecticidal potential using the comparative activity index; it also takes into account lethality, morphological, physiological, and behavioral changes, including deterrent and anti-feeding effects. Eighty-five annonaceous acetogenins are documented on thirty species of insects, as well as toxic activities at various stages of development, broad-spectrum, and differential. The studies on Aedes aegypti (Diptera) and Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera) and the activity of squamocin on fifteen species of insects stand out. Annonaceous acetogenins are toxic at low concentrations, considering evaluation standards and comparison with commercial insecticides, and are active at various stages of insect development. The low proportion of studied species of the Annonaceae means the opportunity to find molecules with this biological potential, and an argument for its conservation.

Green Leaf Volatile Function in Both the Natural Defense System of Rumex confertus and Associated Insects’ Behavior

Rumex confertus is a rhizomatous, invasive, and difficult to control plant. Nevertheless, for sustainable agriculture, studies to biologically control R. confertus continue. Towards this, considerable attention has been devoted to investigating the emission of a wide array of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from herbivore-damaged plants, which are known to induce protection measures in neighboring, undamaged plants. The goals of this study are to (1) determine if the profile of green leaf volatiles (GLVs), which are organic compounds naturally produced by undamaged plants, is similar to that provoked by the chemical stimulants Z-jasmone (ZJA) and dihydrojasmone (DJA), (2) establish if the Apion miniatum beetle’s reproductive choices are influenced by their sex and mating status, and (3) assess if chemically stimulated GLV emissions can be used as signals to attract pests to R. confertus for biological control purposes. Synthetic forms of naturally produced Z-jasmone (ZJA) and dihydrojasmone (DJA), which can act as either an attractant or a repellent of various species of insects, were used to treat R. confertus. In olfactory analysis, the behavioral responses of individual insects to mated and unmated insects and to two GLV blends were evaluated. It was found that unmated male insects were fairly equally divided between going for food (Y-tube olfactometer arm with a GLV blend) and opportunities for reproduction (Y-tube olfactometer arm with unmated females). However, an increase in the GLV blend concentration attracted the insects. Meanwhile, unmated females were definitely indifferent to food and, independent of the GLV blend dose, were more interested in reproduction. Mated males, even with weak feed stimuli, increased their reproduction activity, in opposition to mated females. We provide evidence that synthetic GLV blends can be used to attract predators, making their use an effective means to biologically control R. confertus. The idea of applying synthetic GLVs as a biological control is based on the insects’ mutual relationships, which work as follows: (i) mated males fully invade the weed, (ii) reproduction-driven females follow the mated males to R. confertus, and (iii) the unmated males follow the females with the purpose to reproduce. Therefore, all insect groups (mated and unmated males and females) can be induced to invade the weed. Upon feeding, the insects will damage the generative organs of R. confertus. We propose that the use of chemical stimulants to increase GLV emissions can be effectively used for weed (here R. confertus) control by attracting a plant pest (here A. miniatum).

Ecological and faunal characteristics of helminths of wetland birds in North-Western Uzbekistan

The article studies some faunistic features of helminths of wetland birds in the ecological crisis zone in North-Western Uzbekistan. Parasites of wetland birds collected in the basin of the lower reaches of the Amu Darya during the hunting seasons of 2018–2022 were used as material for this work. 500 individuals of birds representing 39 species from 24 genera, 13 families and 9 orders were examined using the parasitological dissection method. The article discusses the distribution and ecology of the helminths in the studied groups of birds. A total of 112 helminth species were identified in the region – 28 species belong to the class Cestoda, the class Trematoda is represented by 57 species, Nematoda – 23 and Acanthocephala – 4 species. 92 species of heminths were identified in the study area for the first time. The work provides original data on the structure of the helminth fauna from 9 orders of wetland birds. Various paths of helminth transmission in the circulation of infection were specified. The researchers identified four ways parasites use to enter their definitive host: helminths penetrate the host’s body when the latter eats other organisms, intermediate or reservoir hosts of helminths, which are part of the definitive’s host’s diet; helminths enter the host as mechanical impurity to food or water; they make active efforts to penetrate their host; helminths are transmitted by the intermediate host when the latter forages on the definitive host. Most of intermediate hosts for representatives of the class Cestoda were crustaceans – inhabitants of different types of water bodies; Oligochaeta are also included here as second or reservoir hosts. The development of trematodes occurs with the participation of aquatic molluscs acting as the first intermediate host. Various species of insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles and small mammals were identified as the second hosts. Nematoda use a wider range of intermediate hosts (Oligochaeta, crustaceans, insects – aquatic and terrestrial). Fish and amphibians were registered as the second and reservoir hosts of nematodes. The food chains of individual orders of wetland birds largely determine the composition of helminths parasitising them and are the main factor in the formation of their helminth fauna. These processes undoubtedly occur in time and space under the strict control of environmental factors.

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The predatory bush crickets Saga ephippigera Fischer Von Waldheim, 1846 is the largest Iraqi orthopterans and one of the most active and successful predators in the Kurdistan region. The nymphs and adults prey on all the stages of various species of insects. Twelve adult specimens were collected from Erbil Province during May 2018 and June 2021. Morphological structures of the adult insects were described and illustrated in details; important taxonomic characteristics of body regions with their appendages were chosen; and the results indicated the importance of morphological characteristics which confirmed the identification of this species correctly.

A Study of Insect Diversity in Different Habitats Found in Nearby Locality of Raipur, Chhattisgarh

Insects are most diverse, successful and dominant taxon of the animal kingdom. They are found in almost every habitat across the globe. It is due to their diverse body size, habit, fecundity, different modes of respiration, food diversity etc. Because of these diverse characteristics, they became an important component of our ecosystem. They have significant influence on agriculture, human health and natural resources. This was the main reason for analysing the status of insects’ diversity across Raipur city. During this study various species of insects were collected and identified for estimating the insect species diversity and abundance in the different types of habitats found in Raipur. Insects were collected from various habitats like public park, gardens, fruit & vegetable market, agricultural fields etc. Total 603 species from 38 families, from 10 orders of insects were obtained during the sampling from January2019 to February 2020. The contributions of different orders were as follows: Lepidoptera (6), Coleoptera (6), Hemiptera (6), Hymenoptera (5), Orthoptera (3), Dermaptera (1), Diptera (6), Odonata (3) and Isoptera (1) and Mantodea(1) were collected. Diptera were having highest species diversity which was followed by Hymenoptera. Biodiversity of insects were highest in gardens and agricultural fields. The diverse habitats present in and around Raipur provide a favorable climate for insects.

Insect diversity in vegetable crops of Waemital Village, West Seram, Indonesia

Insects are found in almost all ecosystems. The more diverse the ecosystem, the more various species of insects will be. This study aims to determine the diversity of insect in vegetable crops. Field research was carried out in a vegetable plantation owned by farmers in Waemital village, Kairatu District, Western Seram Indonesia. Observations were made by survey methods in which insects was caught using swing insect net, pitfall trap and hand picking. Insect caught was preserved in plastic bottles contain 70% alcohol. Insects collected were identified at the Insect Collection Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture Pattimura University. Diversity (H’) and dominance (D) indices were analyzed using formula of Shannon-Wiener and Simpson, respectively. Totally, there were 2894 individuals of insect captured during the study which belong to 6 orders, 10 families and 11 species. Order Hemiptera with four species has the highest number of individuals, which is 2167 individuals or 74.88% of the total individuals collected. Most families was collected at chili field while the least was caught at tomato plantation. Based on diversity index (H’) and dominance index (D), insect community at vegetable fields in Waemital Village, Western Seram has moderate diversity with low dominance.

Application of HS-SPME-GC-MS for the analysis of aldehydes produced by different insect species and their antifungal activity

In this study, a procedure was developed to determine aldehydes using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) followed by gas chromatography (GC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS). The aldehydes selected for research had previously been identified in various species of insects. Minimal inhibitory concentrations of the compounds against strains of entomopathogenic fungi were also determined. At the outset, the best SPME extraction conditions were chosen for the analysis to obtain good chromatographic separation. The analysis was carried out using a BZ-5 column and different SPME fibers were used to isolate the aldehydes. DVB/CAR/PDMS fiber appeared to be the most efficient coating for undertaking the measurements. The best parameters of separation by HS-SPME and analysis by GC–MS were selected. In addition, the aldehydes were tested for their potential antifungal activity. A procedure was developed to determine the aldehydes using HS-SPME-GC–MS. Heptanal, 2,4-nonadienal, 2-decenal and undecanal were the most effective antifungal compounds against entomopathogenic fungi.

Pola Kedatangan Serangga pada Jasad Hewan Sebagai Indikator dalam Kegiatan Forensik (INSECT ARRIVAL PATTERN ON CARRION AS AN INDICATOR OF FORENSIC ACTIVITIES)

Decomposition stage of carrion will attract various species of insects to come. Some species of insect will attract on carrion in the early stage of decomposition, but some of them in the late stage of death. The purpose of this research were to observe and analyze the distinctive features of insect succession on carrion that could predict the time of death. Two carrions were placed in indoor and outdoor. Insect collection and observation was done three times a day i.e, morning, afternoon and evening. Adult flying insects were collected by sweeping net, whereareas immature insect with manual. The result showed that decomposition of the carrion indoor were faster than the corrion outdoor. In outdoor there were found orders of Diptera (i.e Muscidae, Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae,Tachinidae), Coleoptera (Chrysomelidae, Staphylinidae, Scarabeidae, Silphidae), Hymenoptera (Formicidae), Hemiptera, Blataria and Orthoptera (Grillidae). However, in indoors there were found the order of Diptera (Muscidae, Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Tachinidae), Coleoptera (Chrysomelidae, Staphylinidae, Scarabeidae, Silphidae), Hymenoptera (Formicidae), Hemiptera, Aranea, and Lepidoptera. Decomposition stage of carrion indoor faster than outdoor. In the early stage to the decay stage, insects that came on carrion outdoor and indoor were Diptera (Calliphoridae, Tachinidae, Muscidae, and Sarcophagidae. On the post decay and skeletonization stage the insect that come were Coleoptera (Staphylinidae, Chrysomelidae, Scarabeidae, and Silphidae ). Hymenoptera (Formicidae) came from early stage to skeletal stage.

Deleted in azoospermia-associated protein 2 regulates innate immunity by stimulating Hippo signaling in crab

The Hippo-signaling pathway plays a critical role in both normal animal physiology and pathogenesis. Because pharmacological interventions targeting this pathway have diverse clinical implications, a better understanding of its regulation in various conditions and organisms is crucial. Here, we identified deleted in azoospermia-associated protein 2 (DAZAP2) in the Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis), designated EsDAZAP2, as a Hippo-regulatory protein highly similar to proteins in various species of insects, fish, and mammals. We found that a bacterial infection significantly induces EsDAZAP2 expression, and an EsDAZAP2 knockdown both suppresses antimicrobial peptide (AMP) expression in vitro and results in increased viable bacterial counts and mortality in vivo, suggesting that EsDAZAP2 plays a critical role in innate immunity. Using yeast two-hybrid screening and co-immunoprecipitation assays, we found that EsDAZAP2 regulates the Toll pathway rather than the immune deficiency and Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathways. Our findings also demonstrate that EsDAZAP2 binds to the Hippo protein, Salvador (Sav). Moreover, by examining the regulation of Dorsal, a transcription factor that regulates AMP expression in E. sinensis, we provide experimental evidence indicating that EsDAZAP2 promotes Hippo pathway activation in innate immunity, with EsDAZAP2 and Hippo binding to different Sav domains. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a DAZAP2-regulated Hippo-signaling pathway operating in animal innate immunity.

INSECTICIDAL AND ANTIFEEDANT ACTIVITY OF THE ETHANOLIC EXTRACTS FROM ALLIUM ROTUNDUM L.

The species of the genus Allium L., one of the largest genera of higher plants,occupying a significant place in the modern plant world, are of great interest bothfrom the theoretical and from the practical point of view. Plants of Allium spp.accumulate a large amount of carbohydrates, phenolic compounds (flavonoids andits glycosides, coumarins, anthocyanins, catechins), amino acids and organosulfurcompounds, such as allicin – a precursor for alkaloids and saponins formation.Secondary metabolites of Allium spp. have been successfully used during the pastfew decades in plants protection against pests and pathogens. We have earlierreported about high insecticidal and antifeedant properties of extracts from A.subhirsutum L., A. narcissiflorum Vill. and A. ramosum L. The highest insecticidalproperties against imago (20.0%) and larvae (60.0%) of Leptinotarsa decemlineata(Coleoptera: Chrysomelidaea) were demonstrated by extract from aerial part of A.subhirsutum. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the insecticidal,antifeedant and repellent properties of A. rotundum L. extracts against variousspecies of insects. As a result, it was found that the ethanolic extracts from theaerial part possessed the moderate level (40.0%) of insecticidal properties againstthe larvae of the L. decemlineata and low – against the imago (6.7-13.3%).Moreover, the extracts of A. rotundum showed moderate level of insecticidal,antifeedant and repellent activity against the larvae of lepidopterans (cottonbudworm Helicoverpa armigera and wax moths Galleria mellonella).

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITIONS OF SIX EDIBLE INSECTS IN JAVA

Nutritional deficiency is still a problem faced by many families in Indonesia. One of the important issues is the level of protein consumption that is still below the minimum required standard. Edible insects could be one alternative of protein sources since their availability in the nature is quite abundant. This paper analyses six edible species of both cultivated and wild insects for its proximate compositions to measure their nutritional value. The cultivated insects consist of cricket (Gryllus sp.), giant mealworm (Zophobas morio F.), yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.), and silkworm (Bombyx mori L.), and the wild insects consist of javanese grasshopper (Valanga nigricornis Burm.) and paddy locust (Nomadacris succincta L.). Results shows that the nutritional composition of insects varies widely. Each 100g of dry weight contains of 32.59-76.69% of protein, 6.9-29.47% of fat, 0.92-30.76% of carbohydrate, 2.80-5.79% of ash, 407.34- 517.50 kcal of energy, and minerals about 24.82-31.22 mg of calcium (Ca) and 3.15-4.1 mg of iron (Fe). Some species such as grasshoppers, silkworm pupae and crickets have high protein content which potentially can be utilized as an alternate protein sources to fight against malnutrition and to increase nutritious food consumption. Efforts should be made to encourage the consumption of edible insects as an alternative source of protein. It is especially important to those who live in and around the forest, since the forest area is an excellent habitat for various species of insects.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITIONS OF SIX EDIBLE INSECTS IN JAVA

Nutritional deficiency is still a problem faced by many families in Indonesia. One of the important issues is the level of protein consumption that is still below the minimum required standard. Edible insects could be one alternative of protein sources since their availability in the nature is quite abundant. This paper analyses six edible species of both cultivated and wild insects for its proximate compositions to measure their nutritional value. The cultivated insects consist of cricket (Gryllus sp.), giant mealworm (Zophobas morio F.), yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.), and silkworm (Bombyx mori L.), and the wild insects consist of javanese grasshopper (Valanga nigricornis Burm.) and paddy locust (Nomadacris succincta L.). Results shows that the nutritional composition of insects varies widely. Each 100g of dry weight contains of 32.59-76.69% of protein, 6.9-29.47% of fat, 0.92-30.76% of carbohydrate, 2.80-5.79% of ash, 407.34- 517.50 kcal of energy, and minerals about 24.82-31.22 mg of calcium (Ca) and 3.15-4.1 mg of iron (Fe). Some species such as grasshoppers, silkworm pupae and crickets have high protein content which potentially can be utilized as an alternate protein sources to fight against malnutrition and to increase nutritious food consumption. Efforts should be made to encourage the consumption of edible insects as an alternative source of protein. It is especially important to those who live in and around the forest, since the forest area is an excellent habitat for various species of insects.

Tingkat Serangan Hama pada Tanaman Jabon (Anthocephalus cadamba Miq.) di Desa Negara Ratu II Kecamatan Natar Kabupaten Lampung Selatan

Jabon (Anthocephalus cadamba Miq.) is one of the selected trees as plantation forest in Indonesia. The constrain of jabon plantation is various species of insects which become the pests. Therefore, this research was aimed to discover the damage level of jabon plantation the consequence of the pest attack on jabon forest in Negararatu II village, Natar district of South Lampung. This study was conducted from July to September 2015. The sampling method is systematically multiple plot. The plot size is 20 m x 20 m and distance of each plots is 10 m, hence the amount of the plots are 18. The result showed there were some insects species wich become the pest of jabon such as bagworm (Mahasena corbetti), grasshopper (Locusta migratoria), leafhopper (Bothrogonia sp.), and stem borer (Zeuzera sp.) that inflict damage level about 30,4% – 62,4%.Keywords: damage level, jabon, pest

Social insect based Intelligent Optimization Techniques for Squish Piston Image Analysis in CI Engine

Social insect are the various species of insects that survive in colonies and its three characteristics: overlap of generations, division of labour and group integration. Social insects are best exemplified by all termites, ants, by various bees and wasps. In this paper, a Swarm intelligence algorithm such as Artificial Bee Colony algorithm (ABC) is implemented to identify the defected region of the squish piston image in CI engine. The asymmetry approach is also implemented for investigating the squish piston image. In bilateral subtraction, the asymmetries between corresponding original squish piston image and used squish piston images are considered for defect identification. The squish piston image border and the center position are used as reference points for alignment of images. The artificial bee colony algorithm is used to identify the border and center position of the image. Then the bilateral subtraction method is used to segment the defected region of the image. Feature extraction method is used to extract the features from the segmented image of the squish piston and feature selection method is used to select the best features of the segmented image. The BPN Classifier is used to classify the defected percentage of the squish piston. Then the performance analysis method is validating the above method.

광학 센서 응용을 위한 모르포 나비 날개 모방 구조 설계

Various species of insects display vivid colors, widely known as ‘structural color’ due to their optical interference. Morpho butterflies are famous for their brilliant iridescent colors, which arise from the photonic-nanostructures of optical interference on their wings. In this paper, we outline the results of a comparative study of the optical properties of bio-inspired Morpho butterfly structures with the widely known Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR), conducted using a rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA) method for the two structures. Almost analogous tendencies were observed for both Morpho and DBR structures. With variation in the surrounding media, however, Morpho structures showed an obvious peak shift while no significant changes were observed in DBR, which can be applicable.

African edible insects for food and feed: inventory, diversity, commonalities and contribution to food security

This paper reviews entomophagy as practised in Africa within the context of food and nutritional security by providing an inventory of the various species of insects that are consumed on the continent and suggests a research for development (R4D) agenda for sustainable utilisation of insects for food and feed. Our survey showed that over 470 species of insects are eaten in Africa. The Central African region remains the most important hotspot of having a culture of entomophagy. The insects mostly eaten in the continent are dominated by the orders Lepidoptera, Orthoptera and Coleoptera. Commonalities were observed across the majority of the insects consumed across Africa, providing opportunities for related R4D activities. An R4D agenda and pathways for using edible insects suggest that socio-economics and marketing studies should address issues of communities’ perceptions, based on their cultural background, income and beliefs. Cost-effective rearing, harvesting and processing technologies are required to prevent depletion and ecological perturbations while ensuring continuous availability of insect-based products. Indigenous reports assert that some edible insects harbour medicinal properties; thus, the need to undertake nutritional and bioactive chemical characterisation of main edible insects along the value chain and to investigate food safety issues such as diseases, allergies, and toxicological and chemical hazards. The use of insects for waste conversion into animal feed and fertiliser requires judicious choice of substrate in view of concerns regarding contaminant loads and pathogens occurrence. Responding to these research needs and opportunities, icipe has recently established an Insects for Food, Feed and Other Uses Programme with well-defined work packages oriented towards attainment of its Vision and Strategy 2013-2020 document, with a strong orientation towards R4D and a focus on activities that lead to adoption and impact on end users, through broad based complementary linkages and partnerships with agriculture and livestock extension services, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research and advanced research institutes, non-governmental organisations and the private sector.

Methoxychlor induces atresia by altering Bcl2 factors and inducing caspase activity in mouse ovarian antral follicles in vitro

Methoxychlor (MXC) is an organochlorine pesticide widely used in many countries against various species of insects that attack crops and domestic animals. MXC reduces fertility by increasing atresia (death) of antral follicles in vivo. MXC also induces atresia of antral follicles after 96h in vitro. The current work tested the hypothesis that MXC induces morphological atresia at early time points (24 and 48h) by altering pro-apoptotic (Bax, Bok, Casp3, and caspase activity) and anti-apoptotic (Bcl2 and Bcl-xL) factors in the follicles. The results indicate that at 24h, MXC increased Bcl-xL and Bax mRNA levels and increased the ratio of Bax/Bcl2. At 48–96h, MXC induced morphological atresia. At 24–96h, MXC increased caspase activities. These data suggest that MXC may induce atresia by altering Bcl2 factors and inducing caspase activities in antral follicles.

Sexual conflict in viscous populations: The effect of the timing of dispersal

In recent years, there has been increasing theoretical and empirical examination of how sexual conflict can arise between males and females. However, much this work has implicitly assumed that interactions take place in panmictic populations with complete dispersal, where interactions are between unrelated individuals. Here, we examine the consequences of limited dispersal and population structure for the evolution of a male phenotype that is associated with the males pre- and post-copulatory reproductive success, using an inclusive-fitness based analysis applied to group-structured populations. We show that: (i) the sex-specific timing of the dispersal phase of the life cycle can drive the evolution of sexual conflict; (ii) the inclusive fitness of a female in this conflict is determined solely by direct (i.e. personal) effects on its own competitive ability. Our analysis is supported by results from individual-based simulations of multi-level selection. Our results support the suggestion that kin selection can influence the evolution of sexual conflict, but reveal that such a role might be more complex than previously appreciated when sex-specific life histories are taken into consideration. We discuss the implications of our results for sexual conflict in various species of insects, but focus primarily on dipteran flies of the family Sepsidae.

Longer Antennae for Romeo: Assessing Effect of Antennae Length on Courtship and Mating Success in Male Crickets, Acheta domesticus (Orthoptera, Gryllidae)

Animals use a variety of chemosensory functions to coordinate behavioral actions, such as sexual recognition and courtship. In particular, many insects use antennae as a vital chemosensory organ to transmit and receive sexual signals that are believed to be crucial in mate recognition and mating in various species of insects. Crickets provide a usable model to test the significance of antennae in insects. The general importance of antennae in male crickets to initiate courtship, ensure copulation, and post-copulatory mate guarding has been documented in studies that performed full antennectomy. Our study is the first to perform partial antennectomy to test the hypothesis that even partial loss due to injury has negative effects on sexual behaviors. We found that partially antennectomized males are not slower than control males in mate recognition and courtship initiation. However, we found that partially antennectomized males take longer to achieve copulation than control males with normal uncut antennae. Our results suggest that male crickets require long, undamaged antennae to efficiently engage in mating behavior and may already incur fitness costs when they lose half of their antennae.

Methoxychlor Induces Atresia and Decreases Estradiol Levels in Antral Follicles Simultaneously.

The endocrine disruptor methoxychlor (MXC) is a chlorinated organic pesticide which was first registered for use in 1948 and now is widely used in many countries against various species of insects that attack field crops, trees, vegetables, fruits, gardens, stored grain, livestock and domestic pets. MXC exposure is highest in people working in manufacturing industries, people living near farms, livestock, and in pet owners treating pests with MXC. MXC exposure causes adverse effects on reproductive functions in adult females, including altered estrous cyclicity, reduced fertility, and ovarian atrophy. MXC has been shown to target antral follicles. Specifically, it decreases the number of healthy antral follicles and increases the number of atretic antral follicles in adult female mice. Previous studies have shown that MXC induces atresia and decreases estradiol levels after 96 hours of follicle culture. The goal of the present study was to determine whether MXC induces atresia and decreases estradiol levels earlier than 96 hours of culture. Further, the present study was designed to determine whether MXC-induced changes in atresia precede MXC-induced changes in estradiol levels or vice versa. To complete these goals, antral follicles were mechanically isolated from ovaries of CD1 female mice aged 35-40 days. The isolated antral follicles (10-15 per treatment) were cultured in supplemented alpha-minimum essential media in the presence of dimethylsulfoxide (control; DMSO) or MXC (1, 10, 100 µg/ml) for 24 and 48 hours at 37°C and 5%CO2. After culture, the media was collected and follicles were fixed in Dietrick solution. Fixed follicles were embedded in plastic blocks, cut into 2 µm sections, stained with Lee's methylene blue-basic fuchsin, and graded for atresia on a scale of 1 to 4 based on the percentage of apoptotic bodies (1=0%, 2=<10%, 3=10-30%, and 4=>30% apoptotic bodies). The media was subjected to measurements of estradiol levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The results show that MXC does not induce atresia at 24 hours, but it does induce atresia by 48 hours (24 hours: DMSO = 1.73 ± 0.11, MXC1 µg/ml = 1.59 ± 0.16, MXC10 µg/ml = 1.78 ± 0.20, MXC100 µg/ml = 1.90 ± 0.16; 48 hours: DMSO = 1.25 ± 0.14, MXC1 µg/ml = 1.79 ± 0.09, MXC10 µg/ml = 2.22 ± 0.15, MXC100 µg/ml = 4 ± 0; n=3 separate experiments; p ≤ 0.05 for DMSO versus MXC at 48 hours). The results also indicate that MXC does not alter estradiol levels at 24 hours, but it does decrease estradiol levels by 48 hours (24 hours: DMSO = 17.10 ± 4.98, MXC1 µg/ml = 18.73 ± 2.50, MXC10 µg/ml = 26.46 ± 7.95, MXC100 µg/ml = 18.63 ± 4.27 pg/ml; 48 hours: DMSO = 599.38 ± 68.97, MXC1 µg/ml = 225.65 ± 18.79, MXC10 µg/ml = 120.48 ± 35.31, MXC100 µg/ml = 32.85 ± 2.97 pg/ml; n=3 separate experiments; p ≤ 0.05 for DMSO versus MXC at 48 hours). Collectively, these data suggest that MXC decreases estradiol levels and induces atresia as early as 48 hours and that these effects of MXC on antral follicles occur simultaneously. Support: NIH R01 ES012893 and the Environmental Toxicology Program at UIUC. (poster)